The Lost
by WingedJewel
Summary: Melissa Blaze, Experiment #8028. She is on a mission to save the world. But she can't do it alone. Who will she team up with? The Jonas Brothers? Superman? Neither. She'll team up with The Flock. Now all she has to do is find them.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Breaking Out

Melissa burst out of the door, frantically looking for an escape route. The only way was down the hall, or else go back where she just came from, which was a room filled with Scientists. And no way was she going in there again. She took off running, her feet barely making a sound on the solid tile flooring. She heard shouting from behind, but didn't dare look back. Melissa often had troublesome panic attacks when faced with imminent danger. She kept her feet moving in perfect rhythm. _One, two. One, two, _she thought. Counting her steps.

When she reached the end of the hall, Melissa took a right, knowing that if she took a left, things could only get worse. The front desk was to the left, and so were the vast lobby and the hazardous security alarms, for escapees just like her. When you crossed the invisible red line, the head of security instantly knew everything about you. What you looked like, your number, and your name. Melissa Blaze was very tall, with shoulder-length reddish brown hair. She was #8028.

Just barely, she heard footsteps behind her. Melissa pushed herself to go faster, willing her feet to move more rapidly. She looked more like a spirit now, like a lost soul in the forsaken walls of her home, her prison. Her feet were just barely touching the ground. Her arms pumped and her breath was short and ragged. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears. Her hair streamed behind her.

"Hey, stop!" Melissa heard, but she didn't stop. No one was going to tell her what to do, ever again. Upon reaching the end of the hallway, she took a left. She shot past a bewildered Scientist, sending her papers flying. Looking back, seven Scientists were after her. Not good.

_Oh god, oh god, oh god, _Melissa thought.

She closed her eyes and tried as best she could to take a deep breath. The Scientists were far behind her now. She stuck her hands out to her sides, and flicked her fingers back. The doors she ran past silently slid open, their locks now unlatched. _Be careful,_ she warned. Experiments charged out of their rooms. They knew what was happening. They fought the Scientists, and pinned them down. There must have been at least two hundred Experiments now free from their rooms. With only seven Scientists, the Experiments easily overpowered them.

Melissa didn't stop to help. Still she unlatched doors, running down all the corridors, until all the Experiments were freed. They ran, following her. Melissa and her three thousand Experiments charged into the lobby, taking dozens of Scientists by surprise.

"Go, go, go!" Melissa yelled, shoving the younger Experiments toward the door. The older ones charged. Shattering glass was heard throughout the whole building. Melissa circled to the end of the line of Experiments, looking for stragglers. No one. Everyone had made it. Before anyone could notice her, she turned and ran back into the halls. Taking a series of rights and lefts, she found herself confronted with a large door.

The sign above read:

ROOM 8027. AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.

Melissa shoved against the door, breaking its hinges. She tripped the security alarms and blasting sirens filled her ears. Running in, she found Griffin waiting for her. He took her hand. Griffin was also tall, but he had long blonde hair and piercing green eyes. He was #8027. He was the only other experiment like Melissa. Together they ran out of the broken doorway, shooting past armored guards and Scientists.

They reached the end of the hallway, but there was nowhere to go. Scientists surrounded them, blocking the hallways to the right and left, as well as behind them.

"Bet you didn't count on this, #8028," Jacobi snarled. Jacobi was the head Scientist. He enjoyed torturing the Experiments, and often starved them for no reason. He hated children, which was odd, considering he worked with them every day. He took his job seriously. And what was his job, you ask? To make the Experiments' lives miserable.

"No, actually, I didn't," Melissa answered. "I give up. You win."

Melissa and Griffin stepped back, and then bent down, as if they were bowing down to Jacobi. He smiled, and laughed at the two remaining Experiments.

_Ready, Grif? _Melissa telepathically asked.

_You bet, Blaze. On three._

"One. Two!" Melissa and Griffin shot up, running toward Jacobi. He smiled menacingly.

"There's nowhere to run, foolish children."

"We know!" Melissa yelled. She and Griffin jumped over Jacobi. The only thing in front of them was a wall with a window. Griffin hurled himself through it. Melissa hesitated. She halted and turned to face Jacobi. "Have fun, guys," she said to the Scientists.

"Don't you dare run away from me, #8028!" Jacobi bellowed.

Melissa smiled. "It's Blaze. Not "#8028"."

"Get back here!"

She turned and threw herself out the window.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: What Do You Mean?

Melissa Blaze and Griffin Kyng landed without a sound on the solid turf outside of the building they had just escaped from. They quickly ran into the forest, jumping over icy fallen logs and ducking to avoid snowy low-hanging tree branches and the occasional vine. Melissa could still hear Jacobi screeching at his guards. All of the Experiments had escaped, thanks to Melissa.

"Grif, how long do you think it will be until it's safe to stop?" Melissa whispered.

"I don't know, okay?" He replied coolly.

_Whoa, who put the drama queen in your cereal today? _Melissa thought, but she didn't dare to say it aloud. The last thing she needed was for Griffin to get mad at her.

She followed him through the dense green paradise until the sun started to cast a multitude of colors across the sky. The air began to grow chilly, and Melissa realized she had no idea where she was, or if Griffin even knew this crucial piece of information. She decided to ask.

"Hey, Grif? Do you know where we are..?"

Griffin turned his head to face her. "I don't know, okay? And stop calling me Grif. It's _Griffin_ to you, Melissa."

_He called me Melissa. He never calls me Melissa. Something's wrong with him. But what? _Melissa's thoughts swirled around in her head. _I have to find out. _

Melissa followed Griffin through the forest. Her legs began to grow tired and her chest felt heavy. The air was freezing. Every time Melissa breathed in, the icy air hurt her lungs and made her shiver. Her toes were frozen in her boots and her fingers could barely move. Why couldn't they have waited until summer to escape? The ice-covered ground was getting harder and harder to step on. The bottoms of Melissa's boots were slippery from the hard packed snow that stuck to them. Griffin was still plodding ahead, charging through the snow.

A few hours later, Melissa and Griffin finally stopped. Well, rather, Griffin stopped, and Melissa jumped for joy. They set up camp and rolled out their sleeping bags. Snow was softly falling from the night sky and Melissa sighed as flakes melted on her nose. Griffin was already asleep, snoring quietly. Melissa stood and put out the fire. Taking her flashlight, she turned it on and looked at Griffin. She barely knew him anymore. He was so uptight now and mean as well.

_What if..? _Melissa shook her head. _He can't be a Scientist now. There is no possible way. _

Recently, Experiments had been disappearing from their rooms. There was no thought of them escaping; the security alarms where way too high tech. An Experiment by the name of Patricia Geiger had gone missing. Melissa looked for her in all of her available time. She had finally given up hope when she saw Patricia. Pat was dressed in Scientist's garb – Hair pulled back in a tight bun, white lab coat fitted to perfection, black shoes that made no sound when walking. Melissa wondered why Patricia would dress like a Scientist, until she realized – Patricia _was_ a Scientist. Melissa had covered her mouth in horror and silently slipped away back to her room. Patricia was her best friend. Keyword – _was_. Melissa had sworn she would never befriend a Scientist when she was just 9 years old. Her best friend had become one. Melissa did not know why she had become a Scientist. But their friendship was over.

She was 13 when this had happened. All alone, she turned to the only other Experiment of her kind – Griffin Kyng. But now he had been acting strangely, and Melissa wondered if her suspicions could be true. _There's only one way to find out,_ she thought.

Melissa crept over to where Griffin lay sleeping. She knelt by him and carefully rolled up his pant leg. Taking her knife from her boot, she flipped it open. Cautiously she brought it to his skin and made a long incision on his leg. The wound opened to reveal the last thing Melissa wanted to see. Inside of Griffin's leg were metal poles and wires of assorted colors. Electrical jolts ran from wire to wire, until finally reaching Melissa's hand. She gasped and turned away. Melissa had her answer. She was on her own now. She rolled down his pant leg and stood.

Melissa Blaze knew what she had to do. She deftly gathered her supplies, along with all of the food she had collected before escaping from her prison. Pulling on her jacket, she sighed as Griffin fidgeted. Here she was, losing another friend. It was strange, because he was Griffin inside of The School, but outside, he was just another Scientist. Pushing this thought aside, she laced her boots, and, with difficulty, said goodbye to Griffin for the last time. She first walked the way opposite of that she was going, to make sets of footprints in the snow leading Griffin the other way. They would probably be covered up my morning, for the snow was still falling, but they would at least leave little indentations. Then, carefully retracing her steps, she snapped a branch off of a nearby evergreen tree. Walking the way she first intended to, she brushed away her prints until all that was left was a scattered looking spot in the snow.

Melissa quietly let the branches envelope her as she exited the meadow. All that was left for Griffin to see was her footprints, leading him away from where she was going and most importantly, her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Danger

The sun cast its colors across the sky at the break of dawn. The big shining light chased away the shadows and the snow. A waterfall roared somewhere in the distance and little birds cheeped and chattered in the trees. Somewhere in the surrounding forest was a deer. The doe had just given birth to a beautiful baby, who was a mirror image of his mother. The little newborn struggled to stand on his spindly legs. After falling down numerous times, the baby finally stood long enough for a bird to land on his snow covered back. The baby twisted his head around to see what had planted itself on it, and, when seeing it was a bird, playfully tried to lick the bird's wing. The little bird cheeped and flew into a tree, back to her family.

Melissa was nowhere near this place, where a new life had been born, but she knew it had happened. She could see it. She could feel it. She must have been at least half a mile away, but this was one of her many unique abilities. When her body was in one place, her mind could be in another. Strangely, the Scientists at The School had never figured this out. They also had not known that she could telepathically send messages to others, as well as flawlessly control them. She could become invisible in a second – just thinking about it made her disappear. She could move objects with her mind, too; a knife, her boots, even a piece of toast. Anything, really.

As the snow crunched beneath her feet, Melissa was elsewhere, thinking about Griffin. _How can he be a Scientist? _She wondered. You knew someone was a Scientist because of their skeletal composition. Scientists were not fully human; their bones were made out of reinforced steel. Wires ran throughout their bodies, acting as nerves. The blood was real though; just another disturbing part of the Scientists. Skin was stretched over the metal frame and wires, to hide anything and everything that could reveal them to the outside world. Scientists didn't have a heart, _literally_, and they didn't have any other organs as well. The only part they had that was actually human is their brain. Programmed by computers, these high technology contraptions were good for many things; say, torturing innocent children, and having no respect for human life. All Scientists were once human, but they can't remember their human lives because they had their memory erased.

Now, don't get me wrong, Melissa Blaze was not fully human either, but not in the way just explained. As she plodded through the snowy branches of the forest and icy-slick ground, Melissa began to wonder if she was doing the right thing. She had just planned and accomplished the escape of all of the Experiments, plus overcome Jacobi and trounced on all of the automatons who dared call themselves "Scientists". She only had a small supply of provisions and a diminutive amount of money, which she had stolen from various guards and Scientists. She had enough things to keep warm, though, which was good. She had on four layers, plus her coat, and gloves to keep her hands warm. Wool socks kept her toes from freezing, and her boots were waterproof. Long pants protected her legs.

Melissa kept her ears open and her eyes alert for anything that could be waiting for her, such as a trap or an assembly of Scientists. Possibly both; you never know. As she stepped over a low tree branch, she heard a twig snap in the nearby forest. Melissa spun around, her eyes wildly searching for the thing that had made the noise. Her eyes flicked across the snow covered ground. _They are most likely wearing white, _Melissa presumed, _so that they could blend into the surroundings. I have got to keep my eyes open for an-_

A sharp pain shot through Melissa's chest. She cried out in agony as it became harder and harder to breathe. Slowly her muscles stiffened until she could not move. She tried to suck in oxygen, but she couldn't. Her lungs were tightening up and she felt constricted, as though someone was controlling who she was and what she did. Melissa began to lose feeling in her limbs, and it slowly crept up her torso until she felt numb, everywhere. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she heard a thump as her body hit the ground. Snow softly fell onto her body. Melissa thought to herself, _So this is how it feels to die. _

Then, the world went black.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Strangers

"Dude, what did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything, man! I accidently stepped on her!"

"Well you obviously did something!"

"No! Look! I think she's dead!"

Melissa's arm twitched as she began to regain consciousness.

"Her arm just moved, idiot. She probably just fell asleep or something."

"Oh, sure, Ted, she just decided to take a nap _in the snow_, where she could die. Sure."

"You never know!"

As Melissa's brain became more active, and as her lungs filled with crisp oxygen, she began to move a bit more. Melissa curled her fingers one at a time, wiggled her toes in her boots, and experimented to see if her body was working in order. Her breathing picked up until it was at a steady pace, and as her heart became stronger with the flow of blood coming to it, the color returned to her skin. Her mouth opened and she tried to say something, but all that was heard was a strange gurgling noise.

"Dude, Justin, I think she just woke up from her nap."

"Ted! She didn't fall asleep. Shut up."

Melissa opened her eyes to find two boys, looking to be around the age of 15, kneeling on either side of her. To her left, she guessed, was Ted, which would mean that Justin was on the right. She blinked her eyes a few times until they were accustomed to the bright sunlight that reflected in the snow. _Where am I? _Melissa wondered. _Who are these people? What happened? _She sat up and brushed her hair out of her face. As she tried to clear her mind of the questions swirling around in it, one very important question remained. _What happened to me?_

"Hi." The boy on the right, Justin, held out his hand. "I'm Justin."

Melissa stared at his hand. _Should I shake his hand? What if it has poison on it? Oh, no, I'm being paranoid again But I'm not telling him my name... _She shook his hand. "I'm Kate."

"Well, Kate, there is one very important question I have for you."

"And that is..?"

"Why are you lying here, in the freezing snow, with no one else around?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Justin smiled at her. "True."

"You see, I was with someone else. My, uh, brother, Gr-" _Uh oh, _Melissa thought. _I can't tell them Griffin's name! _"Greg. My brother Greg. He and I were running away from our, um, home."

"Why were you running away?" Justin asked again.

Melissa shrugged. "I lived with my foster parents. They were, er, mean, so I ran away."

Justin looked confused. "But where's your brother?"

"He chickened out. Turned back home."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So now I'm out here, and I don't have a map or anything."

Melissa looked to Ted, who was standing beside her now. Reading his mind, she heard him think, "_Dang! That girl is fine! Mmm mmm she is wearing a button-up shirt! If she could just button down that nice green shirt!" _Melissa scowled and zipped up her jacket. "Pervert," she muttered.

"What?"

"Oh, um, nothing, Justin. What time is it?"

"It's about 8 in the morning," he replied. "Why?"

"Oh, crap," Melissa said. "Can you tell me where we are?"

"Yeah, yeah, um, near the Roy area…. Kind of by Lewis Lake. Do you know where that is?"

Melissa laughed. "Nope." As she stretched her legs and attempted to get up, her foot hit a patch of ice, and she slipped, falling back into the snow. She grimaced in pain.

"Hey, are you sure you are okay?" Justin rose and offered his hand. Melissa nodded, and, ignoring his offer of help, got to her feet. Justin put his hands behind his back. "So…"

"So. I have got to go. Thanks for um, checking if I was okay." Melissa turned to go when Justin caught her arm.

"Hey, um, Kate, I was wondering. Where did you get all of your equipment?"

"My equipment? You mean you went through my stuff?"

"Well, uh, kinda," Justin said, responded. "Sorry."

"I'll kill you later for that. I borrowed the coat from a close friend. And my pack and other stuff? I stole them."

Ted whistled and Justin raised his eyebrows. "You stole them? All of them? I thought girls were, like, all good."

"Well, you better change your thoughts about us 'good girls'. Good girls are just bad girls who don't get caught." Melissa smiled. "It was nice meeting you two. And Ted?"

Ted looked up at her and said, "What?"

"My shirt is blue, not green."

Melissa Blaze turned and headed into the forest, never once looking back at the two bewildered boys who had found her in the snow. She did, though, read their minds. Ted was thinking,_"Wait, how'd she know my name..?" _And Justin was thinking, _"Man. She is really pretty. Dang it! I should have said something intelligent to impress her!" _Hearing this, Melissa laughed. She had thought he was kinda cute too.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Help

_I wonder where I am,_ Melissa thought to herself. _It is so cold here! And I can't believe I stole these things! Stealing is wrong! Wait, what am I thinking? _Melissa shook her head. _I am not acting like myself. This is really strange. But I mean, seriously. The pack I stole isn't even pink. It should have been pink! Oh my god, I hate the color pink. Why am I thinking like this? But I mean, there isn't anything wrong with pink. Pink is my favorite color! I love pink! I need pink things! I should have asked for a pink coat back at home. Wait home? What home? I don't have a home! Just that prison I lived at for my whole life. But that is my home. Home! I want to go home! I should have stayed with Griffin. He would have known what to do. It doesn't even matter anymore that he is a Scientist. Scientists are nice! They are my friends! Friends are Scientists. I love Scientists and they love me!_

Melissa paused. Her head had begun to feel very light, and she could feel her heart pick up the pace as it pounded in her chest. Her breathing became very slow and even, almost as if she was asleep. She blinked her eyes a few times. _What is happening to me? Why am I acting so… so…. Girly?! I'm never girly! There is something wrong. No there isn't. Pink is the best. Girly is the best. I need to wear fashionable clothes! Eep! I'm wearing such drably things right now. I need to accessorize! And be nicer to people! Maybe give everyone jewelry! Yeah! I need to lose this coat and this pack. It's not pink. I only wear pink things. _

Melissa slipped off her pack and dropped it on the snow. Unzipping her jacket, she flung it into the snow as well. _There! All better! Now I don't have to carry around that ugly old pack and that coat. _She giggled as she unlaced her boots. Placing them by her coat, she wiggled her toes in the snow. _One little piggy, two little piggy, three, four, five, six little piggies! Seven little piggies, eight, nine, ten little piggies! _Laughing hysterically, Melissa fell into the snow laughing. She rolled around and kicked up snow with her arms and legs.

Abruptly, Melissa gasped. "I am forgetting something!" She stood and kicked out her legs. "I need to be a ballerina! Ballerinas are always really pretty and they get to stand on their toes!" Melissa raised herself up on her toes. "My voice is really high!" Laughing, she said, "Hehee! This is so cool! Look, everyone, I am a ballerina!" She spun around, doing various poses, as if for a photo shoot. "I also need to become a movie star." She cocked her head to one side. "Like, OMG, you like, totally look like, like, so, like cute!! No, Adam, don't turn toward the light! Gracie, don't open the closet!" Snorting with amusement, Melissa flipped her hair off of her shoulder. "Tommy, are you breaking up with me? No, Tommy, I need you!"

She smiled. "I need a friend! A friend! Yes! Hmm, maybe Ted will be my friend. I love Ted." Turning, Melissa headed back to where she had left Justin and Ted. "I am not pretty enough. I need some makeup. Yay! Mascara and eyeliner – liquid eyeliner! And sparklies! Lots and lots of sparklies! And blush and foundation and the best part of all – LIP GLOSS!" Screaming, Melissa pranced around a tree, singing, "Makeup, makeup, a girl's best friend! Makeup, makeup, the latest trend!"

Approximately an hour later, Melissa stumbled into a clearing. In the clearing were two tents. In the middle of the tents was a fire, and around the fire were logs, most likely for sitting on. Giggling, Melissa ran up to a tent. "Knock knock!" She called. "Ted!"

Emerging from the tent was Justin, looking disheveled. "Kate..? What are you doing here? And where is all of your stuff?"

Melissa rolled her eyes. "Oh, not _now, _Justin. I need a friend! And some makeup. But a friend first. No, maybe makeup first. No! Friend." Running to the other tent, Melissa knocked on it. "Ted!" She yelled. "Get out here!"

"What?" Ted stepped out from the tent, running his fingers through his auburn hair. "Kate? Why are you here?"

Melissa leaped for joy. "Ted, will you be my friend?"

Ted looked confused. "Uh, oh, um, okay." He shrugged and smiled at her. "Kate, what made you come back?"

Melissa put a finger to her lips. "Shhh, Ted, you did. I needed a friend, a you're perfect." Throwing her arms into the air, she exclaimed, "Yay, I have a friend!"

Melissa took Ted's hand in hers and pranced around in a circle. Dizzy, she spun around and around until she and Ted fell into the snow.

Justin slapped his forehead. "Okay, that's _enough_! Kate! What is that matter with you? What has gotten into you?" Justin pulled Ted away from her. "And you," he said, pointing to Ted, "I will deal with later." Dragging Melissa near the fire, Justin shook his head. "What is up with you?"

Melissa shrugged. "What is up with you?"

Justin shut his eyes. "There is something wrong with you. I barely know you and yet I just _know _something is up."

Melissa clenched her fists. "Nothing is wrong with me! Leave me alone! I just wanted a friend! You make me so mad!!" Her body convulsed as her anger grew. "Oh my god! What am I doing?! Justin! Something is wrong with me. Like, really wrong. My voice – it's back to normal now. Justin, you have got to help me. Something bad is going to happen, and I don't know what. When I act like that, it's like I am asleep. Like someone is taking over my body. I'm not normal, Justin. There are secrets you don't want to know about me. You have to h-"

Melissa shuddered violently. Her eyes rolled into her head until only the whites of her eyes were showing. The pain that had happened before came back into Melissa's chest and she screamed in agony. Alarmed, Justin stepped back. Melissa collapsed onto the ground. After a few moments, she was still.

"Kate!" Justin knelt beside her. "Are you okay? Can you hear me?" He shook her arm multiple times. "Kate! Kate!" He put his head to her chest, listening for her heart. "She isn't breathing!" He tried to give her mouth-to-mouth, but it didn't seem to work. Her heart still wasn't pumping. When 25 minutes had passed with no sign of life from Melissa, Justin gave up. Collapsing near her, his voice broke. "I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry."

Melissa lay there, lifeless, as Justin lay beside her, whispering apologies that could not be heard. The world around them was still. The wind stopped howling, the snow stopped falling, and for the first and last time in Melissa's life, all was at peace.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Figure

A shadowed figure emerged from the trees and silently glided across the snow covered land. The scene was still – a girl lying in a crumpled heap on the ground, with a boy collapsed beside her. He was breathing deeply, as if asleep, and the girl did not appear to be to breathing at all. The figure went to the girl first – her fingers were intertwined with the boy's, and she looked peaceful in the snow. Her red hair was embedded with little flecks of snow, and it spread around her head somewhat like a halo. The figure knelt by her side and listened for her heartbeat. A faint sound was heard. She was breathing only slightly. Taking her hand, the figure removed her fingers from the boy's, and with a sigh, laid the boy's hand down next to him.

Finding a sleeping bag, the figure put the boy in it, as so he would not get hypothermia. Then, as the figure stood, the boy stirred. "Kate..?" He said. "No, Justin, it's not Kate. Rest well, and be calm," the figure replied, lightly touching his forehead. His eyes closed immediately and he fell into a deep sleep.

The figure went to the girl. The rain started to fall and thunder was heard throughout the forest. Lightning flashed around them, illuminating the figure and the girl. The figure bent down and scooped up the girl into her arms. The girl's arms and legs dangled from the figure's arms limply, and her hair fell softly down her shoulders. The figure lightly stepped over the boy. Unexpectedly, wings spread out from the figure's back, brown and white and butternut colored, beautiful and breathtaking. The figure's hair whipped around her face as the wind blew stronger, brown and wavy and long. The snow crunched as she leapt up from the ground, her wings beating strongly, lifting her and her passenger up into the air.

The lightning flashed just then, showing the unbelievable sight of the girl with wings, her hair streaming around her, her wings big and strong and powerful; her legs arched as though she were a ballerina dancer. As the sky went dark once again, the sight of the girl could still be seen, as though she was still there. When the lightning flashed once more, she was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Control

"What do you think..?"

"What do you mean, what do I think?"

"I mean, what do we do?"

"Do with what?"

"Her!"

"Oh. Right. Uh, I dunno."

"Well then why'd you – me – oh, nevermind."

"Okay then. So what do we do with her?"

"I just asked that! We wait until she regains consciousness, I guess."

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense…"

"Yeah."

Melissa was lying stiffly on a metal bed. The coldness felt like needles pricking her skin. Her eyes were closed and as she tried to open them she found that she couldn't. She felt numb and as she tried to move her arms, she couldn't do that either. She tried to speak but nothing was heard.

"Hey, I think she's awake!"

"Hey, Nick, no duh."

"Well what do we do?"

"We have to give her control over herself again."

"I don't think that is such a good idea…"

"Well do you have any better ones? Yeah, I didn't think so."

"You don't have to be such a grouch, Em. Geez!"

"Be quiet. Now, I just have to enter the programming codes… hmmm… that's strange…"

"What is it?"

"Oh, nevermind. Okay. One… two… three!"

A bolt of electricity spiked through Melissa, causing her eyes shoot open violently. Her back arched and she drew in her breath quickly. _What is happening to me? _She thought. Melissa breathed heavily and sat up. Looking around, she saw two people, a boy and girl, looking to be about the age of 15. Instincts kicking in, Melissa tried to back away from them.

"Hey, girl, it's okay," the girl said.

"Yeah, we won't hurt you," said the boy.

"I'm Emily, but you can call me Em."

"And I'm Nick, and you can call me Nick."

Melissa's eyes flicked nervously around the room. Cables, wires, monitors, machines, and more were scattered around. There were three metal tables, one of them being what she was sitting on. Looking back to the two, she said, "How did I get here..?" Emily was a bit shorter than Melissa, with jet black hair, cropped just above her shoulders. Her eyes, a piercing blue, held secrets within them. Nick, the boy, was taller than Melissa. He too had black hair and blue eyes, and he looked rough and hard worked.

After a moment of silence, Emily said "That's what we were hoping to ask you. We got up this morning and then-"

"As we were opening the front door," Nick continued, "you were just kind of there."

"Nick and I are twins, by the way. You looked kind of confused."

Nick took a careful step toward Melissa. "What is your name?" Melissa's muscles tensed.

"Don't come any closer." She glared at the twins. "I don't know you, and I don't fancy sticking around long enough to find out."

Nick took another step toward her. "I won't hurt you, okay?" He was a foot away, and Melissa had a very bad feeling about all of it. Her arm flew out and punched the boy, sending him reeling back. Crying out, Emily lunged at Melissa, but was repelled when she was kicked across the stomach. Melissa ran to the window, looking for a lock or something that would let her escape. "Wait!" Nick cried. "We just want to help you!"

Melissa yelled, "I don't want your help!"

She finally just lunged through the window, and found herself free falling out of the window. Her eyes closed and she calmed herself with the rushing air. Slamming onto the ground, she ducked and rolled into the snow-laden forest. Concentrating, she went back into her memory to where she had dropped her pack and her coat. When she opened her eyes, she was there. Her coat, covered in snow, was still slightly visible. Her pack was nearby. Melissa threw them on and set out to find the two boys she had met earlier.

She had met them for a reason. _Everything happens for a reason, _she thought. _I have to find Justin. He is the key to this, at least for now. _


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Lost And Found

Much more snow had fallen since she had been out last, and Melissa was finding it hard to make a path through the low hanging branches. The air was still around her; for now, the snow had stopped falling. Always keeping a watchful eye behind her, Melissa trudged through the snow aimlessly. She had been thinking a lot about what had happened prior to her escape. How did she get with Emily and Nick? What exactly _had _happened to her when she was with Justin? And why in the world had she not been acting like herself? It was a strange feeling. She had felt as though she had been controlled by an unseen force. She was resisting the other's control, but even her immense strength had not been enough. She had acted… girly, I suppose. Melissa was not your average girl; she had been through so many hard times and rough encounters and crushing experiences that she had become hard, strong, almost withdrawn, from everyone and everything else. The way to get hurt was to let somebody in, and Melissa had learned that the hard way.

Now almost certain she was lost, Melissa stopped for a minute to catch her breath. The sun was just about setting, she thought, but it was covered by a thick expanse of clouds. She couldn't hear any birds or other animals, which was strange, because usually one could. Luckily, Melissa had packed extra clothing, which she now layered onto herself to keep warm. Tired, she flopped down in the refreshing snow. Tons of thoughts were running through her head. She was thinking about Justin and of course, Ted, and where Griffin Kyng was and if he was okay. For Heaven's sake, she was only 15 years old, and she shouldn't have had to deal with this much.

Suddenly she heard a twig snap, and she froze. Her clothing had been successfully covered from the snow on the ground, so she was at least partially hidden. Peeking up, she saw a figure standing by the shadow of a tree. _Maybe it's Justin, _she thought eagerly. _After all, he's the one I was looking for. _

"Melissa?" The figure swayed slightly. Melissa tried to contain her gasp. It wasn't Justin. That was Griffin, the best friend turned enemy, and suddenly the reality of what Griffin had become crashed down onto Melissa. Another friend lost to the torturous Scientists, another soul forsaken, another broken heart (for her, at least) and suddenly, she just snapped.

"Griffin, you traitor!" Jumping from the snow, she screamed at him, as if it would make her feel better. "Why did you have to become one of them? Why?" Her eyes flashed with anger, staring at Griffin dangerously.

Griffin looked confused, and replied, "What are you talking about? I hate the Scientists as much as you do, if not more!"

"Liar!" Melissa snarled, throwing her pack to the ground. "I trusted you, and believed in you, and you betrayed me and all I wanted! I told you _everything! _How could you do this to me?"

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about, Melissa."

"Don't. Call. Me. Melissa!" Her chest heaved up and down, and then great sobs racked her body. "How could you do this to me? Just tell me, how?"

"Melissa," Griffin said, "What on earth are you talking about?"

Between sobs, Melissa managed a weak "Scientist. You're one of… them." She fell to the snow, hair disheveled and falling around her face.

"No, I'm not!" Melissa just shook her head. "Really, Blaze, I'll prove it to you!" He rolled up his pant leg, just as Melissa had done days earlier, and, flicking out his switchblade, cut himself. Wincing, he said, "Ah, see?" The blood started to flow. Only this time, no electrical wires splayed out. No control circuits, no flashing lights, nothing. Just plain… skin.

Melissa gasped. "Oh God!" She ran into Griffin's arms, which wrapped around her and comforted her. He stroked her hair as her tears dried up. "I'm so glad!" She looked up at him, into his mesmerizing eyes, and smiled. "Griffin," she said. "I've been meaning to tell you something. I was so distraught when I… thought you were a Scientist and all… I just kind of pushed my feelings away. But now that you're back, I-"

Griffin put a finger to her lips. "Melissa, I've been looking everywhere for you. I just wanted to say that… I love you."

Melissa sighed. "Oh, Griffin, I, I love you too. I have for so long. I just didn't know if I should tell you, and when, you know? And now that you're back, and I was just having a nightma-"

Her words were cut off by the meeting of her lips and Griffin's. She melted into his arms, her eyes fluttering close. She had wanted this for so long…

Melissa's happy thoughts were dashed away when she felt a sharp, searing pain in her spine. "Ah!" Another pain shot through her back. She reached back and felt where it hurt. Drawing her hands back around again, she saw that they were covered in blood. Her blood. Griffin backed away from her, smiling. He held up his switchblade the bloody blade. "Griffin?" She called helplessly. "No!" The world started spinning, her head becoming heavier and heavier, and with a final gasp, she fell into the snow.


End file.
